


Iceus.

by Nwot



Category: Percy Jackson RPG
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-05
Updated: 2013-10-05
Packaged: 2017-12-28 12:37:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/992080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nwot/pseuds/Nwot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Iceus came to die.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Iceus.

Iceus came stumbling away from Rachel’s cave from where he had just received a prophecy. The rest of the camp looked apprehensively at him, Chiron coughed and asked,  
“My dear boy what did you hear?”  
Iceus remained silent for a moment and then closed his eyes and recited what the Oracle had told him;

Four children of wind shall go on this quest,  
Of North, South, East and West.  
To find the armor lost in time,  
The difficulty of their task shall do naught but climb.  
And as they come back by the sea,  
Devastation shall be dealt to three.

This troubled everyone; the last two lines were not something you wanted to hear.  
John, the only child of Eurus at camp looked rather pale.  
Chiron noticed this,  
“You’ll be ok Mr. Mandrake”  
(Chiron called him by his surname.)  
“Iceus will take care of you”  
Iceus smiled at John and then turned to Chiron,  
“I’ve already decided the south and west wind children I’d like to go on the quest with me, Ariel and Bella”  
Bella gulped at this, Chiron nodded and said,  
“You should set off as soon as possible, you can take the provisions you need from the camp store”  
Iceus nodded and looked round,  
“Has anyone seen Ariel lately?”  
“Last time I saw her was at breakfast this morning”  
Iceus thanked him and he went of to find her with Bella and John.

They found her arguing with the head chef, Farqual.  
Farqual was an odd man, he was a son of Hecate and while he was a very competent user of magic, he liked working in the kitchen because of all the sharp things.  
“What do you mean there isn’t any more spicy sauce?”  
Ariel was yelling as they walked in.  
“I meant what I said miss”  
He replied in a growl.  
Ariel scowled and was about to say something when Farqual spotted the trio behind her and said,  
“Your friends are here, go talk to them instead.”  
And with that he muttered a quick phrase in Greek and disappeared.  
Ariel turned round and smiled at them,  
“Alright guys? Quest is it?”  
Iceus stared at her,  
“How did you…”  
“A dangerous one I’m guessing, and from the look on Johns face here, hi John, that something bad is going to happen.”  
She said, interrupting his question before leaning on a table.  
Iceus shocked by this, shook his head before saying,  
“uhh yeah, we’re going to retrieve Aeneas’ armor”  
Ariel nodded and stood back up,  
“Let’s get ready then shall we?”  
“Yes, we’ll meet up in half an hour by the Hephaestus cabins smithy, get any provisions and weapons you need.”  
With this they all dispersed to get their things.  
As Iceus got back to his cabin he noticed Argus standing outside.  
“Hey… Argus, what you doing here?”  
Argus stared at Iceus, which was quite unnerving, as usual he said nothing.  
Iceus started for the door but Argus motioned for him to stop and reached into his pockets and handed over two small objects, they were coins made out of ice.  
“Thanks man, but why would you…?” He started to say before Argus shook his head and his visible eyes motioned upwards.  
“My dad?”  
Argus nodded and moved away.  
Iceus stared at the coins for a moment before pocketing them and packing his stuff.

Later on the four demigods approached the forge from inside came the ring of hammers, the whine of a buzz saw and other tools. Iceus pulled a small cord on the wall and they all waited. A few moments later a camper came out of the door, covered in oil.  
“What do you want?”  
He asked them,  
“We’d like to borrow the Argo IX please”  
“What for?”  
“The quest, we need transportation”  
The camper stuck his head back in the door and yelled,  
“Leo, hey Leo!”  
“yeah?”  
A gruff voice called out from inside,  
“I got four campers here who want to borrow the Argo IX”  
“What for?”  
“The quest apparently”  
There was no reply for a moment and then,  
“Do any of them have experience with flying?”  
“I should think so, they’re all wind god children”  
“Oh right, that’s fine then. Get it out for them, mkay?”  
The camper rolled his eyes and motioned for the group to follow him.  
“Uhh guys, weren’t there only 3 Argos?”  
Bella asked tentatively, the camper shook his head and explained as they walked,  
“We’ve been making new ones for a while.”  
Here he looked around to make sure no-one was watching,  
“Don’t tell the others I told you this but the Argo XXVI is currently on its way to the moon.”  
“Wait… why are we getting one that’s 17 versions behind?”  
John asked,  
“Because it’s smaller and much less volatile than some of the others”  
They had reached a small hanger bay where the camper opened the doors,  
“There you go, she’s all yours”  
He said before strolling off.  
The four of them looked at the small ship that lay before them, it was about the size of a small yacht.  
“Come on then guys in you get!”  
Ariel shouted jumping into it and running to the wheel.  
The other followed after her a little more carefully, putting their things away and looking round the ship.  
“Uhh Ariel, I think I should be the one driving… I mean it is my quest”  
Iceus said approaching her as she looked around the wheel flipping various switches.  
“Nope, I’m captain of this ship. What you gonna do about it?”  
She said slipping on a tricorn.  
“Where’d you get that from?”  
He asked staring at the hat. Ariel shrugged and pulled a lever, with a creak of wood the ship started floating off the ground and out the doors.  
Bella, who had been fiddling with some switches yelped and fell backwards as Alestorm’s “You are a pirate” started blasting from some speaker.  
Iceus, John and Ariel burst out laughing and Bella managed a smile and soon the four of them were soaring up in the sky over camp, many people looked up to see what the strange noise was but all they saw was the back of the Argo IX flying into the distance. As it disappeared into the distance all that could be heard was,

Yar har, fiddle di dee,  
Being a pirate is all right with me,  
Do what you want ‘cause a pirate is free,  
You are a pirate!

And then they were gone.

 

Days later they finally reached the island where Aeneas’ armor was located. The Argo IX slid with a grinding noise onto the white beach and its occupants climbed out and collapsed onto the beach. Ariel’s hat had gone missing on the second day in the middle of a stymphalian bird attack and Bella wouldn’t tell anyone what had happened the night she took watch, everyone just woke up and she was at the wheel, hair gently smoking.  
“Does anyone need some nectar?”  
John asked pulling out a small bottle, Iceus nodded and took a swig from the bottle. Immediately he stood up a bit taller,  
“Right then guys, let’s go do what we came here to do”  
He said helping the others up.  
“I don’t suppose anyone knows what’s guarding the armor, do they?”  
Bella asked, as they started inland.  
“I have no idea, we just got information that it was here and Chiron decided it would be useful for the camp to have.”  
Iceus said from just a little way ahead.  
“I can understand why.”  
John said. The others looked at him blankly,  
“oh come on, don’t tell me none of you know why Aeneas’ armour is a big deal?”  
They continued their blank looks, he rolled his eyes.  
“I can’t believe you guys.”  
John closed his eyes and stood with his hands behind his back, the others watched him carefully. Suddenly he spoke,

“Then Venus, bright goddess, came bearing gifts through  
the ethereal clouds: and when she saw her son from far away  
who had retired in secret to the valley by the cool stream,  
she went to him herself, unasked, and spoke these words:  
‘See the gifts brought to perfection by my husband’s  
skill, as promised. You need not hesitate, my son, to quickly  
challenge the proud Laurentines, or fierce Turnus, to battle.’  
Cytherea spoke, and invited her son’s embrace, and placed  
the shining weapons under an oak tree opposite.  
He cannot have enough of turning his gaze over each item,  
delighting in the goddess’s gift and so high an honour,  
admiring, and turning the helmet over with hands and arms,  
with its fearsome crest and spouting flames,  
and the fateful sword, the stiff breastplate of bronze,  
dark-red and huge, like a bluish cloud when it’s lit  
by the rays of the sun, and glows from afar:  
then the smooth greaves, of electrum and refined gold,  
the spear, and the shield’s indescribable detail.”

Bella gave him around of applause but stopped when she realized no-one else was joining in.  
“That was nice John, but how is it relevant?”  
Iceus asked him. John rolled his eyes and said,  
“Weren’t you listening? The armor was made by Vulcan himself, the helmet is built like the helm of darkness but wreathed in fire so it makes an excellent guard against… well everything, the sword is said to be one of the sharpest Vulcan ever made.”  
Ariel whistled in appreciation,  
“I can see why you’d want them”  
The others nodded in agreement.  
“That’s not all! Next there’s the breastplate made of celestial bronze, according to legend it’s nigh-indestructible. Then of course the grieves of Imperial gold and electrum, said to increase the wearers agility. The spear apparently never misses its target if thrown.”  
Here John paused and appeared to be deep in thought.  
“And the shield?”  
Iceus asked.  
“The shield tells the future.”  
John replied and the group fell silent. After a couple of seconds they decided to move on.  
Eventually they reached a mountain with a cave at the bottom. The halfbloods steeled themselves and entered. They walked for what seemed like an age through the dark tunnel, as they progressed they saw a circle of light that got brighter as they approached. Eventually the tunnel opened out and they were in a massive cavern lit by greek fire. It had a stone table in the middle of it, on the table lay Aeneas’ armor.  
“Awesome, let’s grab it”  
Ariel said approaching the table, Iceus lunged forward yelling,  
“No it could be a tr--” but was interrupted as a blinding white light filled the cavern and a voice rang out,  
“Who dares try and take my armor?”

Far above the earth, the Argo XXVI was in the final stages of approach to the moon. Jaime stared out a porthole at the uneven surface,  
“Why did I volunteer for this again?”  
He grumbled as the large ship creaked around him. Luke Theros looked over from a control panel,  
“You volunteered because of the glory… and because girls really dig astronauts”  
Jaime snorted and went back to looking at the moon. Joe Samson floated through from an adjacent room,  
“You know I don’t actually mind the fact Leo didn’t install the artificial gravity device, this is fun.”  
“Shouldn’t you be concentrating on landing us?”  
Jaime asked a touch nervously,  
“Only we’re getting quite close to the moon.”  
“So we are,”  
Joe replied noticing how close the lunar surface was getting,  
“Man your stations!”  
He said floating to the main control panel and pulling a series of levers, their descent slowed and soon the ship had touched down on the surface of the moon.  
“Alright, everyone suit up!”  
Joe called donning his own specially made spacesuit. The others followed his lead and put on their suits. Jaime stood by the door,  
“You guys ready?”  
The others nodded, and he pulled the door release mechanism and the door swung down and became a set of steps to the lunar surface. Jaime being nearest the door was the first of them on the moon. The three of them gathered in a group and stood staring out over the bleak expanse that lay before them.  
“Guys, we’re the youngest people to walk on the moon and the first halfbloods if our records are correct.”  
Suddenly letters blazed into life at their feet, they read;  
“Neil, ο γιος της Εκάτης ήταν εδώ”  
Their lips moved silently as they translated it in their heads.  
Luke was the first to realize what it said,  
“Oh gods damn it”

In the cavern the light had dimmed leaving the four halfbloods gaping at two figures who had appeared in the cave, one was a beautiful woman whose features seemed to shift to suit each persons concept of beauty while the other was a man who was hideous in comparison. He had welts all over his face and bits of his beard were smoldering.  
The group gasped and fell to their knees,  
“Lord Hephaestus, Lady Aphrodite”  
Iceus said, the man grimaced and his form shimmered momentarily.  
“It’s Vulcan boy! I would have thought you could tell the difference.”  
“Sir?”  
At this point John interrupted,  
“Well it would be Vulcan and Venus wouldn’t it? Aeneas was a roman demigod.”  
Ariel rolled her eyes,  
“Shut up John”  
“Sorry shutting up.”  
Venus looked at each of them and asked in a sweet sounding voice,  
“Why do you seek my son’s armor?”  
Vulcan sniffed at the mention of her son.  
“Well my lady, monster attacks are getting worse and we need something to help fend them off”  
She nodded,  
“I can understand that, but I still don’t know why I should allow you to take the armor”  
Iceus thought for a moment,  
“we’ll lose people we love if the monsters overrun us”  
She smiled and turned to the armor waving a hand over it, a little of the glow disappeared and she turned back.  
“That is a good reason young halfblood.”  
Vulcan stepped forward,  
“You have some children of mine at your camp, they should know how to care for the armor.”  
With this he vanished. Venus however remained behind, she looked at Iceus with something like pity and then said to Bella,  
“Can you deliver a message my girl?”  
Bella nods,  
“Tell my daughter Clarie Nobel I’m sorry.”  
And with that she vanished.  
Iceus looked annoyed, for Clarie was his girlfriend,  
“We should get going guys, grab the armor.”  
They loaded up with the armor and struggled back to the ship.  
They stowed the armor away and set about preparations for flight, but as they soon discovered, flight was impossible.  
“It must have been got damaged on the way here.”  
John said looking into the engine bay. Iceus thought for a moment,  
“It’s still sea-worthy, the prophecy said we would return by sea anyway.”  
He said. The rest of them nodded and they set off, slipping away from the island quickly into the open sea.

In a matter of hours they saw a large cliff looming in the distance, a little way from the cliff there were odd disturbances in the water.  
“Scylla and Charybdis, that’s impossible we’re on the wrong side of the US for that.”  
John muttered.  
“I don’t think that matters when they’re concerned”  
Ariel said staring at them.  
“We’ll go by Charybdis”  
Iceus making a decision and adjusting the ships course.  
They watched as from a distance as water and detritus blasted out of the sea where Charybdis lay. As it came splashing back down, a current started pulling the ship through the water.  
“She’s too strong, she’ll pull us in!”  
Bella shouted over the roar of the waves,  
“We need something to distract her long enough and something to lighten the load”  
Ariel yelled back. Iceus called them all together,  
“I’ve been doing some thinking and I reckon if we all summon the as much wind as we can, we could shoot past her unharmed”  
The others nodded, this seemed like a good idea. They put so much effort into summoning the winds, that none of them saw Iceus preparing the ships lifeboat.  
They only noticed the surge of fresh momentum they gained when it dropped away from the boat with him inside it.  
“Iceus, NO!”  
Bella screamed surging forwards, Iceus waved a hand and winds pushed the lifeboat further away. He yelled back,  
“You get going, I’ll provide the distraction.”  
John and Ariel held Bella back and with the wind they hand summoned they were soon speeding away.  
Iceus however was being pulled ever closer to the mouth; he spotted something in the water and pulled it out. It was the tricorn Ariel had worn; he slipped it on and drew his sword. The current slowed but he was still drawn towards the mouth, Charybdis must be getting ready to blast all the stuff back out he thought.  
He jumped into the air and towards the mouth, riding one of his cold clouds.  
“Hello beastie” Iceus said with a grin before dropping into the mouth.  
Even at the distance they reached the others heard the monster scream.

Back at camp they held a ceremony for Iceus, the shroud was a simple blue one frosted with icicles that sparkled in the fire, Clarie was crying into Bella’s shoulder and even Mr. D was sad at the loss of Iceus. 

 

Far below in the underworld a spirit was being taken across the river Styx.   
“I was told you were coming, do you have the fare for the isle of the blessed?”   
Charon said in his dark tones. The spirit opened it’s shimmering hand and there, lying in the middle were two coins made of ice.


End file.
